Help home cameras thwart hackers
Even your security system could use a hand
Hackers are breaking into home security cameras, and the process isn’t always as difficult as you may think.
This month, there were reports of hackers gaining access to Ring security cameras in Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida and Texas.
And cybersecurity experts say incidents like these aren’t very complex to execute because people often use passwords that are easily guessed.
“The easiest way for a hacker to gain access to something is to guess the username and password of the device’s administrative account,” said Brian Vecci, chief technology officer at the data protection company Varonis.
“That’s the most common way to get hacked.”
He said bad actors are trolling through the internet, reading about devices that are exposed and keying in default usernames and simple passwords to see if they can gain access to real accounts.
Home security cameras also are being broken into because, like everything else that connects to the internet, they inherently are open to outside forces.
What’s even scarier is that once a camera is compromised, hackers can make “lateral movements” onto other connected devices in your home.
So they could, in theory, disable your alarm system, unlock your front door if you have a smart lock, torment your household by blasting music and more, said Renaud Deraison, co-founder of the cybersecurity company Tenable.
Still, there are things you can do to help decrease the likelihood that someone will gain access to your home’s security camera.
Here’s what you should do:
1. Go with a big-name vendor When choosing a specific brand, choose a familiar company that treats security more responsibly. Large manufacturers with household names are held to higher scrutiny than a “noname company,” Deraison said. Nest, Samsung, Panasonic, Ring and Arlo are popular choices.
2. Upgrade to a cloud-based system
Store your footage in a cloud. Tech companies that offer cloud-based storage systems can install software updates to patch vulnerabilities soon after they’re discovered, Deriason said.
3. Create complex passwords
“Don’t use a default user name and password” that comes with your device, Vecci said.
“Change your passwords to something long and difficult to break. Don’t use last names, birthdays or addresses.”
4. Use two-factor authentication
Two-factor is favored by security pros because you have to log in twice to get into your account. Hackers will try you once, and if not successful, move on to other prey.
5. Update your devices regularly
Surveillance camera vendors often expect users to update the devices manually, experts said.
So every few months, you should check to see if yours has an available update. Set up manual security updates, if that’s an option.